/m/all-star_game

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I'm happy for Minnesota but disappointed for Chicago. I don't know if the Cubs even went after it but I really thought this year's should have been at Fenway and 2014 at Wrigley. It's not like there are, or for that matter will be, that many parks that reach the century mark in terms of longevity and I think that would have been an appropriate way for MLB to celebrate its history.

Having been in Minnesota this summer I have no doubt they'll do a wonderful job. The park was very nice and the area around it seemed ripe for a great celebration of baseball.

Historically yes, with a few exceptions, the most recent being 2006-07, when the Pirates and Giants hosted the game in succesion. That was the only time since the dual games of the 1960s where they didn't rotate (before that, it was done a few times in the 50s).

I don't know why the NL went back-to-back in 06-07, unless Bud simply didn't have any AL clubs to reward for their successful extortion efforts in that span.

Historically yes, with a few exceptions, the most recent being 2006-07, when the Pirates and Giants hosted the game in succesion. That was the only time since the dual games of the 1960s where they didn't rotate (before that, it was done a few times in the 50s).

And there's going to be an issue going forward as there are several new NL ballparks that still haven't hosted (Cincy, Philly, San Diego, Washington, NY Mets) and Wrigley and Dodger haven't hosted in a long time, while the only new park in the AL that hasn't hosted is the Yankees, and they just hosted in 2008. The longest drought since hosting in the AL is Oakland (1987) and they won't host again til they get a new ballpark. Tampa has never hosted, and I don't think they will until they approve a new park. Then its Toronto (1991) and Baltimore (1993).

#5: That's the one thing the Twins have under control: Part of Target Field is actually a commuter rail station and Metro Transit has an arrangement where that train will leave 30 minutes after the last out. There's also a park and ride bus from Minnetonka that leaves an hour after the last out. The current light rail route that terminates at Target Field has its last train leaving at 1:13 AM and then takes a few hours off, starting up for the next work day at 4:02 AM. There are quite a few in-city bus routes that run all night. The new light rail route between St. Paul and Minneapolis should be in operation by the 2014 ASG.

Public transport here is generally awesome although I really wish the last bus to my apartment complex would leave downtown St. Paul 10 minutes later so I could actually commute to work.

I find the ASG a big bore. It's been many years since I watched it. With interleague play and nearly every game on TV, there's no longer any mystique about the players in the "other" league. IMO, the worst days of summer are the three days MLB takes off for the All-Star break.

Great. Now they'll get turned down by everyone to captain the AL HR Derby squad, because whoever does it will be under intense pressure to select the Twins' lone All-Star Joe Mauer and his 4 home runs.

The Dodgers really are getting ###### over here. There are 30 MLB teams and it will be at least 35 years between All-Star Games in LA. (It was last there in 1980.) Flagship franchise and all that. They've been campaigning hard to get it for about the last seven years too. Basically they're being punished for building an awesome stadium the first time around.

I find the ASG a big bore. It's been many years since I watched it. With interleague play and nearly every game on TV, there's no longer any mystique about the players in the "other" league. IMO, the worst days of summer are the three days MLB takes off for the All-Star break.

you wrote what my now melky heart has been thinking/pumping for a long, long time !
my heart even wonders about interleague play, no-sunlight-industrial-themed parks and the DH rule (thump thump...thump) ... the 2x wildcard rule is nice, unless you lead by a mile after 162 and then go home with nothing (also see: REDS or RANGERS)!

They can thank the Angels. The Angels have had an ASG twice since the last one in Dodger Stadium and they got one in 1967 too. I wouldn't complain too loudly about one ASG every 35 years. Once every 30 years is the average. LA has had 4 in 48 years.

so, the oldest stadium in the national league is wrigley field. the next oldest stadium is dodgers stadium. and the third oldest stadium in the national league right now is...

...coors field, in colorado, which opened in 1995. after that, atlanta's stadium debuted in 1997, arizona's stadium debuted in 1998, and then there was a boom in construction in the early aughts (CIN, PIT, MIL, HOU, SFG, STL, SDN, and PHI).

From the time they hosted in 1959 to the time they next hosted in 1980, the league grew to 26 teams. Two teams had the game twice between L.A.'s hosting duties (NY and Wash.) while the Dodgers had two in between Baltimore and Chicago gigs (and before the M's, Expos or A's ever got the call).

Now, it's a little more 30 years later so they're obviously due for another. But it's not some terrible injustice.

They can thank the Angels. The Angels have had an ASG twice since the last one in Dodger Stadium and they got one in 1967 too. I wouldn't complain too loudly about one ASG every 35 years. Once every 30 years is the average. LA has had 4 in 48 years.

LA and Anaheim are not the same city. Also, Chicago hosted in 1983 (Comiskey), 1990 (Wrigley), and 2003 (US Cellular) and NY will host in 2013 (Mets), just five years after hosting (Yankees).

You mean like the ASG that were played in Metrodome, Oakland Coliseum, Kingdome, Riverfront Stadium, Stade Olympique, etc? An ASG in Tampa would be acknowledging that they have had a major league baseball franchise for 16 years and have never had an All-Star Game.

Tampa has as much right to an ASG as any other team. There is also about as much chance of me playing shortstop for the Red Sox next year as there is of Bud and friends giving Tampa an ASG without a new stadium being built.

You mean like the ASG that were played in Metrodome, Oakland Coliseum, Kingdome, Riverfront Stadium, Stade Olympique, etc? An ASG in Tampa would be acknowledging that they have had a major league baseball franchise for 16 years and have never had an All-Star Game.

Or Forbes Park, Griffith Stadium and the Polo Grounds!

Those were all pre-Bud. The rules of the game are pretty clear, build a new stadium, or renovate an existing one, that's how you get an ASG.

The Cell could host in 2018 - 85th anniversary of the first game. MLB put the 50th anniversay game at Comiskey and the 70th at the Cell. That might be too soon, but I can't imagine they will wait until 2033 before the White Sox host again.

Tampa has as much right to an ASG as any other team. There is also about as much chance of me playing shortstop for the Red Sox next year as there is of Bud and friends giving Tampa an ASG without a new stadium being built.

Concur. Ditto Oakland. But as soon as either gets a ballpark built, the ASG will be there.

New Yankee is an AL stadium that will get one before much longer, could be as soon as 2018. NY three times in a decade won't be an obstacle to showing off the new money-oozer, since there aren't any other compelling options. Then they'll have to start rotating back to already-existing stadiums though. Camden could get another, it's still pretty spiffy and well-liked.